Guardian Angel
by airwolf addict
Summary: Story Nineteen. previously known as "one step forward two steps back" Things with Hawke and his family seem to be getting worse and worse. Are they all going to be able to work out their problems without hurting each other or getting hurt?
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

Caitlin put Chance to bed then resumed reading her book by the hearth, anxiously awaiting Stringfellow Hawke's return from a weekend fishing trip with his brother. Thankfully, things were returning to normal, but she couldn't rid herself of the awful memories. Chance would most likely be too young to remember any of it, but it sure wouldn't hurt her feelings when String came back, and she was already very grateful for Saint John being able to get him talking. Hopefully that would never happened again. That silent, shocked, lost expression was just unbearable.

Chance had quickly drifted off, exhausted after the day's play, but Caitlin couldn't have fallen asleep if she'd tried. She would stay up until her husband returned this evening; although it was beginning to worry her that he wasn't back yet. They had said they would be back Sunday night, but she had assumed a little earlier than this.

Lost in her own memories, the minutes passed without letting Caitlin know. The clock sitting upon the mantle now read eleven o'clock. Happening to glance up, she saw how late it was getting.

'Please let them be alright and just running late.' Torturously long minutes ticked by second by second. Noticing she had now gone through three more cups of coffee since she last checked the clock, she looked up once more, hoping it wasn't as bad as it seemed. Now eleven forty five, she was growing very concerned. They should have been back hours ago.

A noise in the distance tickled her hearing. She hurried outside to see if it was the Jet Ranger with her husband and his older brother in it that she so anxiously awaited. She strained her tired hazel eyes to see through the darkness. Whatever it was was still too far away.

At last the dark form could be seen well enough to see the distinctive stars and stripes belonging to the Santini Air helicopter, and Caitlin let out a long relieved sigh. He was finally back.

She ran out to greet him with a kiss and hug, grateful that he was finally safely back home.

"Miss me?"

"Lots. I was getting worried."

He slipped a muscular, tanned arm around her, drawing her close to him as they walked together back to the cabin. "You worry too much. I said I'd be back Sunday night."

"It'll technically be Monday in about two minutes," she reminded.

"Ok, so I cut it a little close, but we were trying to catch something good and time kind of got away from us, then I had to drop Saint John off at the hangar so he could drive back to his apartment. In my defense, I did make it back before Monday, so I'm still on time."

"Alright, alright. Did you at least catch lots of fish?"

"Not really. We had a great time, but only caught a few the whole time."

"At least you had a good time and got some time for just you and your brother."

"Yeah, how were you and Chance here?"

'You know, the normal stuff, nothing exciting."

"I know? I'm not so sure I know what normal is anymore."

"Then it was just nothing super exciting. I can't say we did anything amazing, but we had a good time and it did give Chance and I some quality time together."

"Sounds good. Maybe you and I need to spend a little time together ourselves now that we've be spending time with everyone else," String suggested.

"Maybe you have a really good idea."

\A/

Dominic Santini, owner of Santini Air, hustled everyone to their preassigned jobs. "Come on. We have to hurry or the director is going to be up in arms before we even get there."

"Up in arms you say? Maybe we should take the Lady instead of the Jet Ranger then."

"Hilarious," Dominic remarked sarcastically. "String, it's nice you're in such a good mood today, but now is not the time for that."

"He's just jealous," Saint John joined in, "he didn't get to fly her the last time because he was busy drinking half the ocean."

"Not drinking, drowning."

"Better watch it little bro, or Gordon will get his position after all."

"Not a chance. I like my position and plan to keep it for a good long time."

"You better hope you do because we're going to loose this job if you two don't stop clowning around and get over there."

"Ok, ok," they replied together, still laughing as they climbed into the read, white, and blue Jet Ranger and lifted off. Exactly one minute later the same chopper landed on the tarmac outside again, and the brothers slid out.

"Sorry 'bout that. We need the other one," Saint John explained as if it were the funniest thing on earth. Seconds later, the other Jet Ranger lifted off and headed in the direction of the filming site.

"I just hope they bring that chopper back in one piece."

Caitlin nodded her agreement. "I don't know what was so hilarious, but they're going to have to get themselves under control. I hear Gabriel Ramirez is a pretty serious guy and does put up with much joking around."

"Yeah. Let's hope they don't loose the job either; we need the business."

"Oh Dom, you make it sound like Santini Air is about to go under. I've done some of the booking lately; we've been a little slow, but it's not that bad."

"I hope you're right." Maybe it hadn't been that bad, but it sure didn't seem like they had been doing anything lately.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

Santini Air was silent other than the occasional flip of pages and the rare telephone call. Dom looked through the photo album Caitlin had put his messy box of random pictures and snapshots into. It really brought back memories, some good, other not so good.

"Is that String when he was younger?" Caitlin queried as she peered down over his shoulder.

An old snapshot showed the cabin before its remodel with two boys, twelve and sixteen, fishing poles, and sloppy grins on their faces.

"Yeah." That was before the tragedy had struck.

Silently they continued flipping through the thick pages. Caitlin recognized a younger version of Saint John dressed in his army fatigues, but soon afterward did not seen any more pictures of him, only Dominic and Stringfellow. Must have been when he went off to Vietnam, she reasoned. Only a few pages later, she saw the younger Hawke in similar uniform as his brother had been, then a picture of three young men, obviously taken in Vietnam. Two she recognized as String and Saint John, but the other she didn't recognize.

The following pages were filled with pictures around the Santini Air hangar, Dom himself, and String, looking several years older and much more grim faced and serious; rarely were there any picture of him smiling added. He still looked considerably younger than when she had met him though. A wide variety of pictures, probably spanning many years, of the same kind continued. Finally one appeared different. In it, String didn't necessarily look extremely excited, but he did look proud of himself, like he'd made some great accomplishment.

Caitlin looked out the window to see if the others were returning yet, but there was no sign of them. By the time she looked down again she saw String slightly happier and Dom looked positively smug. One picture she easily recognized as herself wearing the red jumpsuit that was currently on the other end of the hangar, and briefly found herself wondering when that been taken. Eventually she identified a more recent picture of the whole family directly following a simple shot of String and Saint John. In it, String had bandages covering a good portion of his arms and obviously was very severely injured, but the joy in his smile as he leaned against his brother proved he wasn't feeling any of that pain, only glad to have Saint John back.

"Didn't he have any girlfriends or some friends to hang out with?" she found herself asking, although not realizing she'd asked out loud. Surely there had been someone other than the one she knew about - Gabrielle. Why weren't any of Hawke's friends included? A few of Santini's had been so why not Hawke's?

"Not really," Dominic's voice broke through the silence, causing her to realize she'd actually spoken.

"Nobody?"

"There was that one late in high school; just before he shipped off to Vietnam she died in a car accident though."

"How awful!"

"The worst part for him was that he was in the same car, and he walked away with hardly a scratch."

Her further questions were interrupted by the landing of the Jet Ranger outside, but Dom had one more thing to say.

"You're good for him, Cait. I haven't seen him as happy as he is with you and Chance in a long time."

Obviously the job with Ramirez hadn't gone well, a definite step in the wrong direction as far as moods went. Before leaving, they'd been joking and laughing hysterically, but neither seemed to be in a very pleasant mood now.

"Here's the money," String said flinging a white envelope with a check inside onto the desk.

"Not go well?"

"That's an understatement," Saint John remarked dryly. "We got the job done, but he's got to be the most demanding person on this planet."

The younger pilot simply slumped down into a nearby chair.

"We aren't doing anything right now; why don't y'all go home, and I close up," Dom suggested.

Saint John readily agreed, and String felt no need to stay any longer either, so everyone else filed out of the hangar and started to their separate homes.

\A/

"So," Caitlin said hoping to start conversation between String and Saint John, their dinner guest. The next day at the hangar neither had been in a better mood, and she was hoping to fix that problem. "How was the stunt shoot today? From what I heard it had to be better than yesterday's."

String rolled his eyes and gave Saint John a chance to state his opinion because he sure as hell didn't have anything good to say about it.

"There's not much to say."

The younger Hawke, disinterested in the conversation, picked up his Stradivarius cello and walked out the front door with Tet at his heels.

"Looks like we aren't very good company tonight," Caitlin idly commented.

Toddling across the room, Chance stopped at the front door and begged to be let out.

"Daddy!" he wailed.

Seconds later the door opened, Chance went out, then it closed again.

Ok, I guess _I'm _not very good company tonight, she amended silently.

"I guess you're right; I just don't understand why some of those directors have to be like that. Today, I just about had to bodily haul Sting out, but I'm not sure I actually would have had it come down to that because personally I would like to slug him one."

Caitlin could sympathize, but that wasn't any way to handle business, and Santini Air had worked hard to keep a valuable reputation. Hopefully whatever the future jobs were would prove to be less stressful.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

"I don't want to help around the hangar," Le complained. "Why can't I go to Byron's party? You know I've been wanting to all week."

"We could use the help and you haven't kept up with your chores lately."

"I don't want to put all those tools back in the storage room; it'll take all day. I'm not going to put up everyone else's mess and you can't make me!"

Caitlin turned her attention to the other side of the hangar where Dominic and String were griping at each other over something or another. Lately every one seemed to be at odds with each other, and she was tired of playing referee. Maybe she should just let them have at each other, fight it out and be done with this mess.

"Fine. You go home then! You can spend the afternoon at your picture perfect cabin and eat trout all day while the rest of us work!" Dom erupted.

"That's not what I'm saying," String argued, surprisingly calmer than she would have expected but he was obviously losing it.

"Seems to me like that would solve all our problems."

You know, I think I _**will**_ go sit by the lake. Playing the cello and eating trout all afternoon!" String threw down the keys to the jeep and stomped out of the hangar slamming the door behind him and taking off in the Jet Ranger.

Maybe they did need a referee, but Cait wasn't so sure she wanted to be the person for the job; she might get her head ripped off in the process. If the sudden mood change with String and Saint John the other day had been a step in the wrong direction, this had to be at least two or three, maybe more.

A crashing noise from the office had Caitlin whirring around to see what it was. With Saint John and Le arguing in the showroom and Dominic fuming about his disagreement with String across the room, she figured it had to be Chance. He wouldn't stay in the playpen all day, but you could take your eyes off that mischievous toddler for even a moment.

Trekking off in the direction of the office, Caitlin went to see what damage her son had caused.

Shoving the door open, Caitlin wondered how in the world one kid, not quite two years old, could demolish the reasonably clean orderliness in so little time. The chair was capsized in the floor, contents of drawers scattered about, and papers littered everywhere, but the desk where they belonged. In the midst was a blue eyed mess giggling happily as he smeared sticky hand prints across the desk he was standing on.

\A/

Le found his aunt's screaming and yelling a good enough reason to excuse himself from Saint John's lecture. He found Chance being forced to pick up the papers he had thrown in the floor while Caitlin searched the office for the phone. It started ringing and she soon found it in the bottom drawer of the filing cabinet.

"Santini Air," she answered wearily. For how long Chance had spent destroying it, the office was taking an awfully long time to clean up.

"It's Marella," the pleasant voice on the other end stated. "Michael asks that the Airwolf crew come in to see him. He needs to speak with them about something urgent."

"I'll see if I can stop them from killing each other long enough to round them up and bring them in, although I might have to hogtie and gag them for that to be possible."

Marella made no comment on Caitlin's statement, merely requesting they get there as soon as possible.

Caitlin promised to do so and hung up the phone, the put it back on top of the desk where it belonged.

"Le, will you go get Saint John and Dom for me, please?"

He obeyed, but only stayed within his father's sight long enough to say that Caitlin needed him before disappearing to find Dominic. The last thing he needed right now was another long argument or lecture.

Dominic and Saint John both walked into the office, astonished to see such a mess.

"Marella called. Michael needs you for a mission, and since Hawke just left, I guess he misses out." Honestly, it might be a good thing for him to sit this one out. Maybe it would give him and Dom a little time apart to cool down, and to give Le and Saint John some time away from each other.

"Alright, I guess we better go see what Whitey wants."

\A/

Michael opened to doors to his office cordially after Lauren had paged him and told him the Airwolf crew was here.

"Dominic, Saint John," he greeted politely.

They came in and took seats across from Michael's desk. Again seated in his chair, Archangel pulled a file from the growing stack on the corner and handed it over.

"Dr. Danil Gorbachov, American name Daniel Gordons, needs to be extracted from a Russian Laboratory immediately. He serves as an undercover agent for the FIRM and has recently gotten his hands on a lethal drug the Russians are experimenting with."

"So you need us to fish him out before the Russians catch him playing with their new toy?" Dom reasoned.

"Where is Hawke?" Michael queried, realizing he wasn't anywhere to be seen or heard from, not that he said much to be heard from, but nonetheless.

"The cabin," Dominic answered grumpily.

"Is everything alright?" Hawke wasn't known to skip out on his job, even if he was sick or injured he would typically haul himself up there, unless he wasn't in good enough condition to do so. Then he had someone else haul him up there.

"Fit as a fiddle and happy as a clam. Except with me. We had a bit of a disagreement. What does it matter though? We can do a quick rescue without him."

"If only it were that simple. If that were the case we could send Dr. Gorbachov out on a normal flight. Unfortunately, the Russians have already caught word of him having their new 'toy' as you put it. We have to pick him up as quickly as possible without any fuss before the Russians know we're there. That's why Airwolf is ideal. Danil has some suspicions though that our Red friends are right on his tail so you won't know the exact location for pickup until you're there. The pickup could be an easy one or it could be….straining."

"So, I might not be in good enough physical condition for this one," Dom said bluntly.

"I don't know. It could be difficult for anyone of you or it might be easy. It would be wisest to have a full crew of the best possible people though."

"And you don't think I can do it."

"I know how well you and Hawke work together. Honestly, you're the best two man team in my opinion, but I don't know what obstacles will be in the way and whoever is best rounded will prove to be the most valuable."

Dominic Santini left the office in a kind of huff. Michael had tried to be diplomatic and polite, but he obviously didn't think they should go on this one alone. Previous experiences in Russia hadn't been all that pleasant and he wouldn't mind sitting this one out, but maybe the time away would do him some good.

"You think your friend Mike might have some interest in this one?" Dom asked as they walked back to the jeep.

"Maybe. Why though? The hangar doesn't have much of any scheduled business for the next week at least so String could go."

"I love him like a son, you know I do, just like I do you, that's why it hurts me so to have us fighting like this. Maybe a little time away wouldn't be sucha bad thing."

"Oh. I don't know, but I guess I can ask him," Saint John offered. "Don't you think String will get mad about us leaving him though? Airwolf is more his than any of ours you know."

"He said if I ever needed her I knew where to find her."

"Yeah, but I don't think this is quite what he had in mind."

"Then count it as for the good of our relationship. He'll get over it; in the end this is better."

\A/

**The next morning at the Santini Air Hangar…..**

**9:00am**

"Where's Dom?" String asked for about the millionth time that morning, "and Saint John?"

Le was around, supposed to be watching Chance, a task he had neglected to do the previous day resulting in a disastrous mess in the office, and Caitlin had come up with him, but neither brother nor surrogate father were to be found.

"Cait?" he asked demandingly. She knew something. He could sense it.

"I don't know," she answered truthfully.

"Then what do you know?"

"Marella called yesterday, that's all. They never said anything about a mission or ever the possibility of one."

He picked up the phone and dialed the now well known number to the FIRM Headquarters. Michael might be underhanded enough to send them without letting him know it. He had promised to at least inform Hawke even if he wasn't able to go on that particular mission, but when they weren't in the FIRM's favor the rules had a tendency to change.

He demanded to speak with Michael immediately and the aid didn't argue.

"Hawke? What are you doing?" Michael asked incredulously. "You should have left two hours ago!"

"I'm unaware of that minor detail," Hawke answered calmly. "I was beginning to wonder when you where going to tell me where you sent Dom and Saint John off to though."

"You don't know?"

"How am I supposed to know, Michael? You didn't tell me."

Cursing under his breath, Michael replied. "Russia, and you're supposed to be with them. I asked why you weren't here yesterday for the briefing, but Dominic said you were at the cabin and he would take care of letting you know everything. They were not only supposed to let you know, but also take you with them."

"He sent me home yesterday and didn't say a damned thing about a mission," Hawke replied, anger beginning to boil up.

"I specifically told those two not to go in alone because there are a lot of uncertainties in this mission."

"Obviously they didn't listen too well."

"It's too late for them to turn around now, I just hope Danil was able to come up with an easy rescue."


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

**Airwolf Cockpit - four hours 'til pickup time**

Dominic checked the monitors in front of him yet again to make sure they were on track, wishing that String were here instead of Saint John and Mike, like the old days. He liked their company, but at least String left you to brood in silence with yourself, where as these two continuously talked about the forthcoming events, getting you all worked up.

"We'll be entering Soviet airspace in an hour," Dom reported.

Saint John made a quick thank you then returned to his pointless conversation with the Airforce pilot.

At last the conversation was broken with a radio transmission. It was Danil.

"The Russian's have got half their airforce after me," Danil panted. "I try to meet in this park in three hours," he promised in a heavily accented English before giving more a more exact location and ending the call.

"That guy is American?" Rivers questioned. "Sound Russian through and through to me."

"Michael did say he'd been over here awhile."

"I hope that's it, and we aren't flying into a bigger trap then I already know we are."

\A/

Caitlin listened in anticipation as her husband explained the information as to the whereabouts of the others.

"Russia?"

He nodded gravely.

"And they didn't tell you?"

"If they'd told me I wouldn't have had to call Michael."

Good point. "So I guess we just have to wait for them to come back."

Hawke let out a long breath. "Yeah, I guess that's all." And hope they all come back in one piece.

\A/

Saint John brought Airwolf in close to the ground and hovered mere feet off the ground awaiting Danil to join them. Time passed slowly as the minutes wore by. An hour later Saint John decided he wasn't going to show up and started off to find a safe place to hide until receiving further orders.

Michael's picture appeared in the video link. "How'd it go?"

"No luck," Saint John replied succinctly. "He never showed."

Michael cursed. "I was afraid this would happen. I'll see what I can find out and get back to you. For now just lay low.

\A/

Danil crouched down low in the dark cave, trying to avoid the Russian police that came from every direction after him. In his haste, he'd lost his watch, but he was sure he had missed the pickup by a long shot. They'd probably gone back home, but maybe, maybe if he could get a hold of them they could try to reattempt the pickup.

Slipping back into the darkness of the night, he left the cave in search of a way to communicate with his rescuers.

\A/

"Airwolf, this is Danil."

The sudden noise broke through the silence in the cockpit, and Mike answered it. "We're here."

"Would you try again? I couldn't make it in time," he apologized. "There were too many and progress is slow."

"Same place?" Mike asked.

"About. Try about a mile and a half east of that."

Dominic typed in the location and the computer pulled up the directions to Lensk. Lensk? That's the heart of Russia! Why couldn't something be easy just for once?


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

Danil Gorbachov sank into the dark under brush hoping his rescuers would get here soon. He guessed they still had about ten minutes or so until they should arrive, but the dogs in the distance were starting to worry him. Times like this were when you wonder why you didn't get a typical summer job as a teen instead of committing to years of spy work.

The dogs were getting closer, he needed to move on, but somehow he was going to get out of here. He risked a glance upwards and saw a white flash across the sky. What was that? It came by again; this time he recognized it as the white underbelly of a sleek black helicopter, but it didn't sound like any helicopter. It growled as it rested on the ground, almost as if it had a real being. 'Ridiculous,' he thought, flinging himself toward it. This just had to be his rescue.

The Russian police obviously saw him because the silent night was soon riddled with gunfire, round after round ringing out clearly against Airwolf's metallic armored skin.

Mike shoved the left door open and started out to retrieve the undercover agent, assuming it wasn't already too late.

The gunfire ceased.

Finding a pulse, Mike threw the agent over his shoulder and helped him into Airwolf. He was hit, but it didn't look too bad and he could be more thoroughly examined once they were out of here.

Almost there, gunfire sprayed across Airwolf's nose and the duo stumbled, almost falling, but continued on and made it to Airwolf. Mike yanked the door open with a whoosh. He shoved the other man up, and with Dominic's help they got him inside; then Mike joined Saint John up front.

"You ok?"

"Yeah. Actually surprised I didn't get myself killed out there," Mike replied.

"Thank you, but you most be crazy," the agent commented. "You could've gotten killed."

"Part of the job. If you didn't make it, we as Americans, could be in much more trouble with the Russians than we already are."

"Thank you nonetheless."

\A/

Saint John dropped the agent, now know as Daniel Gordons, at the FIRM clinic not far away, promising to return in the morning to take him home. After a good night's rest and some medical attention he should be better. In the morning they could make the long trip back home, and get on with their lives.

\A/

String lifted his head from his work. Something was wrong. He didn't know exactly what, but something definitely was. He reached for the phone and dialed Knightsbridge to see what the latest news was.

"Yes, Hawke. As usual, that eerie sixth sense of yours is correct," Michael replied, "but it's not anything too bad. Evidently the tail rotor got just a little bent from some of the crossfire," he explained. "It'd probably be alright to get all the way back out to the Lair even, but Dominic and Saint John both agree it best to fix it there and not run the risk of something going wrong."

Made good enough sense, but he'd feel so much better if they were all safely home. He couldn't get over how nobody had even told him they were going though. Family-you have no choice but to love them, that is if you can live with them without strangling them.

\A/

Saint John looked over the recently repaired rotor skeptically. "Well, it should be alright, but as soon as we get back it should be replaced."

Mike agreed. "I'll help if you need me to."

"Nah, it shouldn't be a big deal."

Dominic came back with Daniel. "You guys ready to get up there? I want to get home."

Daniel watched the horizon uneasily, as if expecting something to jump out and get him. MiG 29's are what it sounded like, but no one else seemed to notice. Maybe he was just imagining it. Spending ten years in a different country, always on your guard would give any normal human being reason to be paranoid.

The MiG's were closing in on them. If they didn't get out soon they wouldn't be able to make a move and the Russians would obliterate them all. The Airwolf crew continued talking, oblivious to the approaching onslaught.

"We have to get out of here!" Daniel warned frantically. "The Russians. They're coming."

The three looked skeptically at each other. Nothing was in sight or to be heard in the distance.

"You've got to believe me! They're coming!" he pleaded. "Come on, get this bird off the ground and into the air."

Dominic slid into the engineer's seat and checked the radar. Reporting back, he said, "the only thing coming is a little rain ten miles out, otherwise the scope is clear."

The escapee FIRM agent looked up again. Something was out there. He just knew it.


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

After finishing up the repairs, Saint John piloted Airwolf up into the sky again, leaving Russia again. "How are we looking, Dom?"

"Radar suppression is at ninety seven percent and we should be too low to catch the radar anyway."

They continued completely undetected by the Russians, Daniel grew even more restless, every few minutes insisting the whole Russian air force was on their six. Once, he had even grabbed for the stick, trying to evade a non-existent missile despite not having any combat experience, much less any combat flying. After Mike salvaged them from plowing into the hillside and Saint John finally got him pinned down, they unanimously decided to sedate him until they got back to the United States.

Almost out of Russian airspace, Dom remarked, "what's our friend doing now? There is actually something on the radar now."

"Got an ID?" Saint John asked.

"Four MiG 29's.

"We're already at maximum radar suppression and they're closing on us."

Airwolf ducked out of sight further into the canyons, disappearing from sight. The Russians followed.

"They're gaining on us."

Saint John almost called out for turbos, but soon thought better of the idea. With that tail rotor iffy at best, extra strain caused by that speed wouldn't be good at all, and he wasn't sure it would hold up; they'd have to do without.

"Russian intercept ETA three minutes."

Airwolf darted across the lands, just skimming the ground. The MiG's followed.

The first MiG let off a missile which easily missed Airwolf, but the second came a lot closer. Having obviously been spotted, Saint John directed Airwolf out of the canyons and into the sky where there was more room for maneuvers if it came down to that.

A MiG followed them up.

"We picked up a tail - semi-active radar seeking air to air missile."

Saint John tried to evade it, but it stuck to them like superglue, gradually growing closer and closer.

"Dom, give me turbos on my count."

"We can't - the tail rotor…"

"Six…"

"Saint John! It could rip the rotor right off!" Dominic warned.

"And we'll crash and burn if it does," Saint John realized, "if not, we're done for anyway."

Dominic and Mike both grew silent in realization, but still wanting to avoid the risk, not that they had any choice.

"Now."

Reluctantly, Dom pushed the lever upward and gave Saint John usage of the turbos, hoping it wouldn't be the death of him.

With a sudden burst of speed and power Airwolf shot up and turned on itself.

"Mike, gimme a Hellfire."

"Hellfire," he confirmed.

Two missiles impacted each other and exploded together into a single fireball. The relief didn't last long though. The chatter of gunfire slamming against the armored black skin soon filled the air. The 50mm gunfire denting the metallic body as it loomed dangerously close to the main rotors.

"Watch the-"

"I know," Saint John interrupted, wanting full concentration. Suddenly Airwolf swung around one hundred and eighty degrees. He fired a Copperhead at the first MiG 29 and a second at the other Russian aircraft.

Two down, two to go.

"Missile!" Dom warned too late.

Saint John yanked back on the cyclic in a vain effort to avoid the missile. It did miss Airwolf, hardly, but the force from the explosion into the mountainside shook them thoroughly.

"He's coming back."

Mike loaded a Hellfire and Saint John sent it hurdling toward the AA-10. Then it exploded in a bright, flaming cloud. The last pilot was just as brave, but went down with a single Sparrow.

Airwolf shuttered ominously. They were low on fuel and she was worse for wear, definitely in need of some love and attention, but first they had to make the lengthy trip home and hope she didn't give out before then.

"I'll radio in and see about getting that fuel pickup a little early," Dom said, already in a way dreading their return. String wouldn't be the least bit happy and neither would Archangel.


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

Hawke pulled into the Lair, parking the jeep out of the way in the shadows. He'd found out from Michael that Saint John and Dom had taken Mike Rivers with them; he wasn't sure if he was happy about that or not. At least they didn't go gallivanting off without thinking, but that meant they had purposefully left him out of the loop. He would find out the real story when they got back hopefully not long from now.

It was strange seeing the Lair so empty, much like it had been before the Lady had made her home here. Late afternoon sunlight shafted down the tall chimney, but the beauty that usually basked in its warmth was gone. She would be back soon though.

The cold from the night was just beginning to set in when String heard Airwolf in the distance. That was Airwolf wasn't it? It didn't sound exactly like her, but it was similar and who else would be flying over the Valley of the Gods at night? It was her alright.

Descending ever so slowly and carefully down the chimney, Airwolf finally came to rest on the sandy floor.

His eyes opened wide in surprise. 'What did they do to you Angel?'

Three tired men disembarked, oblivious to String's presence, and went to change out of their flight suits. When they returned each was met with an icy glare.

"What the hell did you do to her?!" If he was perfectly honest with himself there was a time or two Airwolf hadn't come back in remarkable shape, but right now she looked downright pitiful.

"There really is a good explanation."

"There had better be, and I want to hear ever bit of it. Right now."

\A/

String listened as Mike, Saint John, and Dom all gave accounts on the mission and the sedated man in the jump seat.

"Look String, I'm sorry," Dominic apologized. "I just though you and I might do better after not being in each other's faces for a couple days. We'll get the Lady all fixed up in no time flat and I won't let it happen again."

\A/

**The next afternoon at the Lair…**

"What parts are you going to need?" Michael Coldsmith-Briggs asked. He wasn't exactly excited about having to replace many expensive custom parts, but if he was going to continue to get use of Airwolf, he had to keep up his end of the deal.

"Don't know yet, but it's probably not as bad as it looks."

"Well, thanks for picking up Danil Gorbachov. In case you were wondering, he is doing better now. Once you come up with a list of parts send it over and I'll get it filled as soon as I can."

Hawke appeared out of nowhere. "It is as bad as it looks, worse actually."

Dom noted the sudden change of expression from the previous day's anger. He was angry before and had every right to be, but today he seemed more regretful for his sudden outburst.

"What're you doing here anyway? Saint John and Mike should be around soon, but I already told you that you don't need to help; it's our mess and we'll clean it up."

"I'm staying to help."

"You really don't need to - it most likely isn't that bad."

String ignored Dom's insistence. He had already taken a closer look for himself, and he knew what he saw. "I realize I've made and pretty big mess of things before and you helped me. I also took a closer look at that tail rotor." He stood back and showed Dom the piece he now held in his hands. "It was barely hanging on; I touched it and it fell off," he stated solemnly. "I was that close to loosing you all forever."

Dominic saw the sincerity on his face and the grave expression it held. He wasn't trying to make him feel any better about the damage they caused, he was stating simple fact. All their lives had depended on a bent, worn, and damaged strip of metal that had been moments away from giving out.

They turned together and look at the sleek sides dented with riddlings of 50mm canon fire, she'd definitely didn't come through this one unscathed, and they had been lucky to. Things could have some easily turned out so much worse.

How had that strip stayed so long? Under the circumstances they should be dead.

"I guess there's only one explanation - God sent us a Guardian Angel."


End file.
